Vacuum Cleaner with Motor Cooling Air Filtration

ABSTRACT

A vacuum cleaner has cooling air from an agitator motor ported to a working air conduit upstream of an inlet to a fan motor assembly.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent applicationSer. No. 60/743,454, filed Mar. 10, 2006, which is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to vacuum cleaners. In one of itsaspects, the invention relates to a vacuum cleaner that cleans motorcooling air before exhausting the air from the vacuum cleaner.

2. Description of the Related Art

Upright vacuum cleaners having cyclone separators are well-known in theart. These vacuum cleaners may employ a frusto-conical shape separator,while others use high-speed rotational motion of the air/dirt in acylindrical separator to separate the dirt by centrifugal force.Typically, working air enters and exits at an upper portion of thecyclone separator and the bottom portion of the cyclone separator isused to collect dirt. It is further known to employ multiple serialcyclone separators to improve the collection of fine dirt particles thatmay not be collected by a single separator.

Vacuum cleaners further have at least one motor/fan assembly forgenerating suction to draw air and dirt into the vacuum cleaner, andfrequently have a second motor/fan assembly to drive an agitator, suchas a brushroll, housed in the foot of the vacuum cleaner. Air to cool tothe motor/fan assemblies is drawn into the vacuum cleaner andsubsequently exhausted from the housing through separate ports in vacuumcleaner housing. As the air passes through the motor, carbon dustdischarged from the motor brushes can become entrained in the air andthus also exhausted from the vacuum cleaner, leading to contamination ofthe home environment. Some effort has been made to filter the motorcooling air after it has passed through the vacuum cleaner. A filter canbe placed at the inlet or exhaust port to remove carbon dust from themotor cooling air, however, this filter adds expense and bulk to thevacuum cleaner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, a vacuum cleaner comprises a housing, acleaning head assembly in the housing having a suction nozzle and aworking air path therethrough, a dirt separator in the housing forremoving dirt from a dirt-containing airstream, a suction source havingan inlet connected to the dirt separator and adapted to draw thedirt-containing airstream from the suction nozzle and through the dirtseparator and an outlet, a first motor mounted in a motor housing, anair inlet provided in the motor housing for supplying cooling air to thefirst motor, a conduit extending from the motor housing to the suctionsource inlet downstream of the dirt separator to pass the cooling airfrom the motor housing to the suction source inlet, and a filter mountedin the housing and in fluid communication with and downstream of thesuction source outlet for removing contaminants from the air that passesfrom the suction source outlet.

In one embodiment of the invention an agitator is driven by the firstmotor. In this embodiment, the suction source is driven by a secondmotor.

The filter can be any suitable filter material, preferably a HEPAfilter.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing includes ahandle assembly pivotally connected to the cleaning head assembly at apivot axis and the conduit passes through the pivot axis. Further, thesuction source can be mounted in the handle assembly. Still further, thefilter can be mounted in the handle assembly.

Further according to the invention, a vacuum cleaner comprises ahousing, a cleaning head assembly in the housing having a suctionnozzle, an agitator, and a working air path therethrough, a dirtseparator in the housing for removing dirt from a dirt-containingairstream, a suction source having an inlet connected to the dirtseparator and adapted to draw the dirt-containing airstream from thesuction nozzle and through the dirt separator, and an outlet. A firstmotor drives the agitator and is mounted in the cleaning head assembly.A source of cooling air is supplied to the first motor and a conduitextends from the first motor to the suction source inlet to pass thecooling air from the first motor to the suction source inlet. A filteris mounted in the housing and in fluid communication with and downstreamof the suction source outlet for removing contaminants from the air thatpasses from the suction source outlet.

The first motor can be mounted within a motor housing in the cleaninghead assembly and the cooling air passes from a first side of the motorhousing to a second side. The conduit can be attached to the motorhousing at the second side. The conduit can be connected to the suctionsource inlet downstream of the dirt separator.

The filter can be any suitable filter material, preferably a HEPAfilter.

In one embodiment, the housing includes a handle assembly pivotallyconnected to the cleaning head assembly at a pivot axis and the conduitpasses through the pivot axis. Further, the suction source can bemounted in the handle assembly. Still further, the filter can be mountedin the handle assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to thepresent invention comprising a handle assembly pivotally mounted to afoot assembly.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded view of the vacuum cleaner from FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the foot assembly from FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a partial cut-away view of the foot assembly illustrating aheight-adjustment mechanism.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner, illustrating the footassembly in a lowered position with respect to a floor surface.

FIG. 7 is a side view similar to FIG. 6, illustrating the foot assemblyin a raised position with respect to a floor surface.

FIG. 8 is a cross-section view taken through line 8-8 of FIG. 3 that ispartially cut-away to illustrate a detent pedal in an engaged or lockedposition where the handle assembly is immobile with respect to the footassembly.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, illustrating the detent pedal in anunengaged or unlocked position where the handle assembly is movable withrespect to the foot assembly.

FIG. 10 is a partial cut-away view of the foot assembly illustrating thedrive attachment between the brush assembly and a motor/fan assembly.

FIG. 11 is a top cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner through thefoot assembly, illustrating a path for motor cooling air through thefoot assembly.

FIG. 12 is a rear, close-up view of the vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 13 is a partial cut-away of the rear handle assembly illustrating adiverter mechanism.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the diverter assembly from FIG. 13, where thediverter assembly is in a first orientation.

FIG. 15 is a side view similar to FIG. 14, where the diverter assemblyis in a second orientation.

FIG. 16 is a rear view of the handle assembly illustrating a secondembodiment diverter mechanism.

FIG. 17 is a schematic illustration of the air flow path through thediverter mechanism from FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is an exploded view of a cyclone module assembly according tothe present invention.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken through line 19-19 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken through line 20-20 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a separator unit from the cyclonemodule assembly.

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view through the middle portion of thevacuum cleaner illustrating a latching mechanism between the handleassembly and the cyclone module assembly.

FIG. 23 is a partially exploded perspective view of the cyclone moduleassembly illustrating an emptying mechanism.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the cyclone module assembly with theemptying mechanism actuated to empty the dirt collected in the cyclonemodule assembly.

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view through line 25-25 of FIG. 3illustrating a motor/fan assembly and a UV sanitation assembly

FIG. 26 is an exploded view of the motor/fan assembly and the UVsanitation assembly.

FIG. 27 is a partially exploded perspective view of the vacuum cleanerillustrating a post-motor filter assembly.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a telescoping wand for use with thevacuum cleaner in a retracted position.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the telescoping wand in an extendedposition.

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view through the telescoping wand from FIG.29.

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a flexible crevice tool for use withthe vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 32 is a top view of the flexible crevice tool from FIG. 31illustrating the side-to-side flexing of the crevice tool.

FIG. 33 is a side view of the flexible crevice tool from FIG. 31illustrating the up-and-down flexing of the crevice tool.

FIG. 34 is a top perspective view of a turbine-powered brush for usewith the vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 35 is a bottom perspective view of the turbine-powered brush fromFIG. 34.

FIG. 36 is an exploded view of the turbine-powered brush from FIG. 34.

FIG. 37 is a bottom perspective view of a second embodiment of aturbine-powered brush for use with the vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 38 is a view similar to FIG. 20 illustrating the path of workingair through the cyclone assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1-2, an uprightvacuum cleaner 10 according to the present invention comprises an handleassembly 12 pivotally mounted to a cleaning head or foot assembly 14.The handle assembly 12 further comprises a primary support section 16with a closed-loop handgrip 18 on one end to facilitate movement by auser. The handgrip 18 is preferably overmolded with a soft low durometermaterial for providing a comfortable grip for the user. A motor cavity20 is formed at an opposite end of the handle assembly 12 and houses asource of suction, illustrated herein as a vertically-oriented motor/fanassembly 22 (FIG. 27). The handle assembly 12 pivots relative to thefoot assembly 14 through an axis of rotation formed perpendicular to ashaft within the motor/fan assembly 22. An electric cord (not shown)extending from the motor/fan assembly 22 is stored on a pair of opposedcord wraps 24 provided on the rear of the primary support section 16. Afirst push button 26 operating a first switch for actuating themotor/fan assembly 22 and a second push button 28 operating a secondswitch for actuating an agitator in the foot assembly are provided nearthe handgrip 18. A light bulb 30 (FIG. 27) housed in a casing 32 ispositioned in front of the motor cavity 20 for illuminating an area tobe cleaned in front of the foot assembly 14.

Referring to FIG. 3, the handle assembly 12 further receives a removablecyclone module assembly 34 on a slotted platform 36 within a recess 38provided on the primary support section 16. The cyclone module assembly34 separates and collects dirt from a working air stream and can beemptied of collected dirt after a cleaning operation is complete.

Referring to FIG. 4, the foot assembly 14 further comprises a lowerhousing 40 that mates with an upper housing 42 creating a brush chamber44 in a forward position thereon. An agitator brush assembly 46 ispositioned within the brush chamber 44 for rotational movement via abearing assembly (not shown), as is well known in the vacuum cleanerart. A suction nozzle 48 is formed in the lower housing beneath thebrush chamber 44 and is in fluid communication with a surface to becleaned. The suction nozzle 48 can be overmolded with a soft lowdurometer material. A transparent or semi-transparent window 50 can beprovided on the brush chamber 44 to allow the user to view the agitatorbrush assembly 46. A foot conduit 52 provides a working air path throughthe foot assembly 14, from the suction nozzle 48 and through a curvedconduit 54. In the preferred embodiment, the foot conduit 52 is asmooth, rigid, blow-molded tube connected to the bendable curved conduit54, which coincides with the pivot point between the foot assembly 14and the handle assembly 12 to allow the handle assembly 12 to pivotrelative to the foot assembly 14. In an alternate embodiment, one orboth of the foot conduit 52 and the curved conduit 54 is a flexible hoseas is commonly known in the vacuum cleaner industry. Rear wheels 56 aremounted for rotation at a rearward portion of the foot assembly 14 onrespective axle pins 57. A circuit breaker 58 is provided in the footassembly 14 to protect the electrical wiring of the vacuum cleaner 10from damage caused by an overload or a short circuit.

Referring additionally to FIG. 5, a rotatable height adjustment knob 60is provided on the foot assembly 14 and operates a height adjustmentassembly 62 such as is commonly known to adjust the vertical height ofthe suction nozzle 48 relative to the surface to be cleaned. The heightadjustment knob 60 comprises a cylindrical body 64 having a handle 66 onan upper surface thereof for the user to grip and a stepped portion 68of incremental steps having a constant height difference formed on thebottom edge of the body 64. The stepped portion 68 can be formed with aprotrusion 69 at either extreme of rotation to limit the movement of theheight adjustment knob. The height adjustment assembly 62 comprises acarriage assembly 70 that interacts with the height adjustment knob 60.The carriage assembly 70 comprises a pair of wheels 72 mounted to asupport 74 that is pivotable with respect to the foot assembly 14. Thesupport 74 is received in a molded cavity in the bottom of the lowerhousing 40. An arm 76 extends upwardly at an angle from the support 74and engages the stepped portion 68 on the height adjustment knob 60.

The height of the suction nozzle 48 can be adjusted relative to thesurface to be cleaned by rotating the height adjustment knob 60 ineither direction, i.e. clockwise or counterclockwise. The steppedportion 68 riding on the arm 76 moves such that the arm 76 engages anadjacent incremental step on the adjustment knob 60. In this way, theheight of the suction nozzle 48 can be adjusted up or down apredetermined height, from a fully lowered position shown in FIG. 6where the suction nozzle 48 is close to the surface being cleaned to afully raised position shown in FIG. 7 where the suction nozzle 48 isfarther from the surface being cleaned.

Referring to FIGS. 8-9, a detent pedal 78 is provided on the rearwardportion of the foot assembly 14, near one of the rear wheels 56. Thedetent pedal 78 operates a locking mechanism between the handle assembly12 and the foot assembly 14. The detent pedal 78 is pivotally mounted tothe lower housing 40 of the foot assembly 14 through a pivot pin 80formed at one end of a shaft 82 extending downwardly from the detentpedal 78. The shaft 82 is received in an angled recess 84 in the lowerhousing 40. A latch 86 is formed on a forward portion of the detentpedal 78 and is selectively received in a latch recess 88 formed onhandle assembly 12. A spring 90 biases the detent pedal 78 upwardly toadd additional force to the locking mechanism when the latch 86 isreceived by the latch recess 88. To unlock the handle assembly 12 fromthe foot assembly 14, the user depresses the detent pedal 78 with theirfoot. The downward force on the detent pedal 78 causes the pivot pin 80to rotate counterclockwise, with respect to the orientation of FIGS.8-9, such that the shaft 82 is pivoted rearwardly in the recess 84. Thismotion causes the latch 86 to pivot out of engagement with the latchrecess 88, thus unlocking the handle assembly 12 from the foot assembly14.

Referring to FIG. 10, the agitator brush assembly 46 is rotated by adedicated agitator motor assembly 92 housed in a motor recess 116 formedin the lower housing 40. An endless belt 118 is coupled between a driveshaft 120 of the motor assembly 92 and the belt mounting portion 114 totransmit rotational movement of the shaft 120 to the brushroll 94. Twopairs of upper and lower retainers 115 on either side of the belt 118prevent the belt 118 from slipping off the belt mounting portion 114.The retainers can be made of a felt material that also helps to preventdust and dirt from entering the belt area, thus minimizing damage to theagitator brush assembly 46. A U-shaped spring clip 122 positionedbetween the motor assembly 92 and the motor recess 116 is used duringassembly of the vacuum cleaner 10 to keep tension on the belt 118 beforethe motor assembly 92 has been tightened into the motor recess 116 withsuitable fasteners, such as screws or bolts (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 11, air for cooling the agitator motor assembly 92 isdrawn into the foot assembly 14 through an inlet (not shown) where theair passes through the agitator motor assembly 92 to cool the componentsof the assembly. The inlet can be formed in the lower housing 40, nearthe agitator motor assembly 92. After passing through the agitator motorassembly 92, the motor cooling air is then ported into the working airconduit that is upstream from an inlet 22 a to the motor fan assembly22. Although the motor cooling air from the agitator motor assembly 92can be ported to the working air conduit anywhere from the outlet of thesuction nozzle 48 up to the inlet 22 a to the motor fan assembly 22, itis preferable to port the motor cooling air from the agitator motorassembly 92 in motor cavity 20 upstream of the inlet 22 a to the suctionmotor/fan assembly 22 through a first post-motor cooling conduit 124, asindicated by arrows in view of the fine nature of the carbon dust fromthe motor. The conduit 124 extends through a pivot 126, which forms theaxis of rotation between the handle assembly 12 and the foot assembly14, and enters the motor/fan assembly inlet 22 a through a secondcooling conduit 315 coupled with an opening 128 (FIG. 26) formed in aupper casing 292 that houses the motor/fan assembly 22, where the motorcooling air ported through the conduits 124, 315 joins working air drawnin from the cyclone module assembly 34. In this way, any carbonparticles from the motor brushes or other dirt that becomes entrained inthe motor cooling air will be filtered out from the air exhausted fromthe vacuum cleaner 10 by a post-motor filter assembly 300, as describedin more detail below.

Referring to FIG. 12, a rear conduit 130 is provided on the rear portionof the handle assembly 12 and extends from the curved conduit 54 to acyclone inlet housing 132. A flexible hose 134 is connected at one endto the cyclone inlet housing 132 by a bayonet-type fastener 136 and theother end is removably stored in a socket 138. The middle portion of thehose 134 can be placed on a hose hook 140 (FIG. 1) located on the upperfront portion of the handle assembly 12 for storage and can be furtherengaged by an upper hose guide 142 and a lower hose guide 143 located onthe rear portion of the handle assembly 12 to retain the length of thehose 134 substantially against the handle assembly 12. Referring toFIGS. 2 and 12, the lower hose guide 143 is positioned below the centerof gravity of the handle assembly 12 so that when the hose is removedfrom the socket 138 and pulled in a generally horizontal direction, thevacuum cleaner 10 tends to roll across the surface to be cleaned insteadof tipping.

Referring additionally to FIG. 13, removal of the hose 134 from thesocket 138 automatically actuates a diverter mechanism assembly 144 thatswitches the operational mode of the vacuum cleaner 10 from on-the-floorcleaning, where working air is drawn into the vacuum cleaner 10 throughthe suction nozzle 48, to above-the-floor cleaning, where working air isdrawn into the vacuum cleaner 10 through the hose 134. The diverterassembly 144 comprises a pair of flap valves 146, 148 that define theflow path of working air through the cyclone inlet housing 132. Thefirst flap valve 146 is rotatably mounted to a valve plate 150positioned within the socket 138. The second flap valve 148 is rotatablymounted to a valve plate 152 positioned between the rear conduit 130 andthe cyclone inlet housing 132. A bypass conduit 154 fluidly connects thehose 134 to the cyclone inlet housing 132 downstream of the second flapvalve 148. The flap valve 148 is sized to occlude the conduit 130. Theflap valves 146, 148 extend from shafts 156, 158, respectively, that arerotatably mounted to the valve plates 150, 152 and form the axis ofrotation for the valves. The flap valves 146, 148 are mechanicallylinked by a link arm 160 extending between the shafts. Specifically, theshaft 156 has an orthogonal extension arm 162 that is attached to oneend of the link arm 160. The other end of the link arm 160 is attachedto a similar extension arm 164 on the shaft 158. A spring (not shown)biases the first flap valve 146 in an upward direction, where upward isdefined as the directed toward the top of the page with respect to FIG.13.

When the hose 134 is inserted into the socket 138, the flap valves 146,148 are in a first orientation shown in FIG. 16, where the end of thehose 134 engages the first flap valve 146 and both valves are rotatedsuch that the extension arms 162, 164 are in a relatively horizontalposition. In the first orientation, the rear conduit 130 is unobstructedand working air can flow from the suction nozzle 48 to the cyclonemodule assembly 34 through the cyclone inlet housing 132 and the vacuumcleaner can be used for on-the-floor cleaning. Upon removal of the hose134 from the socket 138, the spring forces the first flap valve torotate clockwise, with respect to the orientation of FIGS. 14-15, thusalso rotating the shaft 156 clockwise to move the extension arm 162 to agenerally vertical position. The link arm 10 causes the extension arm164 to move in a corresponding fashion, whereby the second flap valve148 rotates clockwise to the second orientation shown in FIG. 15. In thesecond orientation, the second flap valve 148 occludes the rear conduit130 such that no suction force is created at the suction nozzle 48 andworking air enters the hose 134, flows through the bypass conduit 154and cyclone inlet housing 132, and into the cyclone module assembly 34,whereby the vacuum cleaner 10 can be used for above-the-floor cleaning.Reinsertion of the hose 134 into the socket 138 automatically switchesthe operational mode of the vacuum cleaner 10 back to on-the-floorcleaning.

A second embodiment of a diverter mechanism assembly 166 is shown inFIGS. 16-17. The diverter assembly 166 comprises a pair of flap valves168, 170 that regulate the flow path of working air through a cycloneinlet housing 172. The first flap valve 168 is positioned in a socket174 for receiving the hose 134. The second flap valve 170 is positionedbetween an air conduit 176 leading from the suction nozzle 48 to themotor/fan assembly 22 through the cyclone module assembly 34 and abypass air conduit 178 that fluidly connects the hose 134 to the airconduit 176 downstream of the second flap valve 170. The flaps valves168, 170 are sized such that they can occlude their respective conduits,and extend from shafts 180, 182, respectively that form the axis ofrotation for the flap valves. The flap valves 168, 170 are mechanicallylinked by a pair of intermeshing gears 184, 186 on the shafts 180, 182.A spring (not shown) biases the first flap valve 168 in an upwarddirection, where upward is defined as the directed toward the top of thepage with respect to FIG. 16.

When the hose 134 is received in the socket 174, the flap valves 168,170 are in a first orientation where they are both in a relativelyvertical position (shown in phantom lines in FIG. 17) such that thesecond flap valve 170 seals off the bypass conduit 178 and working airflows in a path from the suction nozzle 48 through the air conduit 176and into the cyclone module assembly 34 whereby the vacuum cleaner canbe used for on-the-floor cleaning. Upon removal of the hose 134 from thesocket 174, the spring forces the first flap valve 168 to rotatecounterclockwise, with respect to the orientation of FIG. 17, thusrotating the gear 184 counterclockwise such that the gear 186 rotatesclockwise and the second flap valve 170 is rotated clockwise to occludethe air conduit 176 and open the bypass conduit 178 and the vacuumcleaner 10 can be used for above-the-floor cleaning. As the hose 134 isreinserted into the socket 174, the first flap valve 168 is pusheddownward by the end of the hose 134 such that the first flap valvepivots clockwise to the first orientation, and thus causing, through thegear transmission, the second flap valve 170 to pivot upward tounobstruct the air conduit and close the bypass conduit 178.

Referring to FIGS. 18-19, the cyclone module assembly 34 comprises aunitary cyclone separator and dirt cup assembly having two stages ofseparation. The first stage, comprising a primary cyclone separator 200,is housed in a lower casing 202 which also forms the dirt cup. Thesecond stage, comprising a plurality of secondary cyclone separators204, is housed in an upper casing 206 above the primary cycloneseparator 200 and dirt cup and is partitioned off from the primarycyclone separator 200 by a separating plate 207. A latch 208 secures thelower casing 202 to the upper casing 206 so that the casings can beseparated to provide access to the primary and secondary cyclonesseparators for repair and maintenance. A gasket 210 is provided at theparting line between the casings and surrounds the separating plate 207to ensure an air tight seal when the casings are assembled. The casings202, 206 are preferably transparent or semi-transparent to allow theuser to view the contents of the cyclone module assembly 34. An inletopening 212 is formed in the lower casing 202 and is in fluidcommunication with the cyclone inlet housing 132, 172 when the cyclonemodule assembly 34 is removably received on the vacuum cleaner 10, thusproviding an inlet for the working air from the suction nozzle 48 orflexible hose 134 into the cyclone module assembly 34. The inlet opening212 is positioned tangentially with respect to the wall of the lowercasing 202.

The primary cyclone separator 202 comprises a primary cyclone chamber214 defined between the lower casing 202 and a baffle assembly 216arranged around a fines collector conduit 218. The baffle assembly 216comprises a cylindrical portion 220 having perforations 222 that allowair to flow from the primary cyclone chamber 214 to the secondarycyclone separators 204 and multiple fingers 224 extending downward fromthe bottom of the cylindrical portion 220. The dirt separated by theprimary cyclone separator 200 is collected in the bottom portion of thecyclone module assembly 34 in a first collection region 226 definedbetween the lower casing 202 and the fines collector conduit 218. Thefingers 224 disrupt the circular movement of air in the first collectionregion 226 in order to facilitate the settling of dirt and to reducere-entrainment of the dirt in swirling air patterns.

Referring to FIG. 20, an air passage 228 from the baffle assembly 216 tothe entrance into the secondary cyclone separators 204 extends betweenapertures 230 formed in the fines collector conduit 218 and is definedlaterally between the outer surface of an air exhaust conduit 246 andthe inner surface of an annular wall 231 surrounding the air exhaustconduit 246. The separators 204 are frusto-conical in shape, having anupper cylindrical portion 234 and a lower conical portion 236, anddefine multiple secondary cyclone chambers 238 for separating finesparticles from the working air. Each secondary cyclone separator 204 hasa tangential air inlet 232 formed in the upper cylindrical portion 234and a dirt outlet 240 formed in the lower conical portion 236. The uppercylindrical portion 234 has an open upper end 235 for communication withan air outlet tube 242 extending centrally into the upper cylindricalportion 242 to an outlet passage 244 in communication with an air exitconduit 246.

Referring to FIG. 21, the secondary cyclone separators 204 can be formedas a single unit 233, where the unit 233 comprises a circular disc 237from which the secondary cyclone separators 204 extend in a circularconfiguration that is concentric with the outer peripheral edge 239 ofthe disc 237. The secondary cyclone separators 204 are arranged withtheir respective central axes parallel to one another and to the centralaxis of the primary cyclone separator 202. In one embodiment the numberof secondary cyclone separators 204 is eight, although the unit 233 canhave any number. The unit 233 has an annular lip 241 bounded exteriorlyby the circular configuration of secondary cyclone separators 204. Thelip 241 rests on the upper edge of the annular wall 231 and helps guideworking air into the air inlets 232, which are formed at regularintervals in an annular inlet wall 243 extending vertically above thelip 241.

A pair of arms 245 attached to opposite sides of a vortex-stabilizersurface 247 extends below each of the dirt outlets 240. Thevortex-stabilizer surface 247 is positioned in such a way that thebottom end of the cyclone vortex or the “vortex tail” formed by theairflow through the secondary cyclone chamber 238 contacts thevortex-stabilizer surface 247. The vortex stabilizer surface 247provides a dedicated location for the vortex tail to attach. As aresult, the vortex stabilizer surface 247 minimizes a walking orwandering effect that might otherwise occur. Confining the vortex tailimproves separation efficiency of the secondary cyclone separators 204and further prevents re-entrainment of dirt already separated from theworking air.

Referring again to FIG. 20, the air outlet passage 244 is formed by aflared portion 248 extending radially outward from an upper portion ofthe air exit conduit 246 and a cover portion 250. The air outlets 242can be integrally formed with the flared portion 248 or can be formedseparately. Dirt separated by the secondary cyclone separators 204 fallthrough the dirt outlets 240 that are in communication with dirt chutes252 formed between the apertures 230 in the fines collector conduit 218.A second collection region 254 is formed in the bottom of the cyclonemodule assembly 34, between the fines collector conduit 218 and the airexit conduit 246. The air exit conduit 246 extends from the air outlets242 of the secondary cyclone separators 204 to an air exit 256 formed ina bottom wall 258 of the cyclone module assembly 34 that is in directcommunication with the slotted platform 36. A first gasket 251 ispositioned between the upper surface of the flared portion 248 and thelower surface of the cover portion 250, a second gasket 253 ispositioned between the lower surface of the flared portion 248 and theupper surface of the secondary cyclone separator unit 233, and a thirdgasket 255 is positioned between the dirt outlets 240 and the dirtchutes 252 to provide an air-tight working air path through the cyclonemodule assembly 34.

The vacuum cleaner 10 further comprises an ion generator 259, shownschematically in FIGS. 19-20. The ion generator 259 is preferablylocated in the cyclone module assembly 34 and emits a stream of ionsinto the working airstream. The force of the accelerated air in thecyclone module assembly 34 drives ions into substantially every surfaceand crevice of the working air path therethrough. The ions react withodor-causing molecules to render them inert and thus improve the odor ofthe air before it is exhausted from the vacuum cleaner 10 into the homeenvironment. In an alternate embodiment not illustrated, the iongenerator 259 is located outside the working air path, which can beprovided with a bleed inlet for introducing ions into the working airpath. This configuration advantageously allows for controlling the speedof ion emissions into the working airstream. Exemplary positions for thebleed inlet include, but are not limited to, the inlet 212 of theprimary cyclone separator 200, the inlet of the secondary cycloneseparators 204, the motor casing 292, 294, 296, the entrance into thepre-motor filter assembly, and the housing 332 of the post-motor filterassembly 300. Furthermore, multiple ion generators 259 can be provided,such that ions can be emitted at multiple points within the vacuumcleaner 10.

The ion generator 259 can be powered through the vacuum cleaner 10 suchthat it is in continuous operation when the vacuum cleaner 10 isenergized. Alternately, the ion generator 259 can be separately powered,such as by a battery, so that it can remain in operation for a period oftime after the vacuum cleaner 10 is de-energized. The time of operationcan be controlled by a timing circuit, mechanical timer, or thermalswitch located near the motor/fan assembly 22.

Referring to FIG. 22, a carry handle 260 is located on the upper casing206 of the cyclone module assembly 34 that is useful for lifting theentire vacuum cleaner 10 or for lifting the cyclone module assembly 34when it is separated from the vacuum cleaner 10. The carry handle 260can be overmolded with a low durometer material to provide a comfortablegrip to the user. The carry handle 260 further has an actuatorcomprising a push button 262 that operates a latching mechanism thatreleasably secures the cyclone module assembly 34 within the recess 38.The latching mechanism comprises a movable upper latch 264 received inan upper slot 266 and an immobile lower latch 268 received in a lowerslot 270. The upper latch 266 has a catch 272 that engages acomplementary formation 273 on the upper slot 266 to secure the cyclonemodule assembly 34 within the recess 38. The lower latch 268 is receivedin the lower slot 270 to relieve stress on the upper latch 264 caused bythe weight of the cyclone module assembly 34. The upper latch 264extends laterally from the push button 262 such that when the pushbutton 262 is depressed, the upper latch 264 moves downward and out ofengagement with the upper slot 266. While the push button 262 is stilldepressed, the user can remove the cyclone module assembly 34 from thevacuum cleaner 10 by tilting the cyclone module assembly 34 away fromthe recess 38, such that both latches 264, 268 are moved from theirrespective slots 266, 270, and then lifting the cyclone module assembly34 off the platform 36.

Referring to FIG. 23, the bottom wall 258 of the cyclone module assembly34 is connected to the lower casing 202 by a hinge 274 (FIG. 19) and isfurther movable through actuation of an emptying mechanism to permitemptying of the collect dirt. A recess 276 is provided on the rear sideof the lower casing 202 for receiving components of the emptyingmechanism, specifically for receiving a pivoting lever 278. The pivotinglever 278 comprises an elongated flat body 280 with a push button 282 atone end, a catch 284 at the opposite end and two pivot pins 286extending laterally from the midsection of the body 280. The catch 284engages a slot 288 on the bottom wall 258 to secure the bottom wall 258in a closed position. The pins 286 are rotatably received in holes 290formed in the recess 276 and define the axis about which the lever 278pivots.

Referring to FIG. 24, when the push button 282 is depressed, asindicated by the arrow, the body 280 pivots about the axis defined bythe pivot pins 286, such that the catch 284 is drawn away from the slot288, and the bottom wall 258 is released to an open position (shown)where the dirt collected in the cyclone module assembly 34 is free tofall into a waste receptacle or equivalent.

Referring to FIGS. 25-26, the motor/fan assembly 22 is housed in athree-part casing, comprising an upper, a lower front, and a lower rearmotor casing 292, 294, 296, respectively, received in the motor cavity20. The motor/fan assembly 22 is oriented vertically in the casing withthe inlet opening 22 a facing upwardly. The upper casing 292 includes acavity 298 for a pre-motor filter assembly comprising a removable filtertray 300 and a pre-motor filter 302 received in the tray. A handle 304is provided on the front of the filter tray 300 so that the user mayopen the filter tray 300 and replace the pre-motor filter 302 as needed.The upper casing 292 and filter tray 300 further have openings or slots306, 308, respectively to allow working air to pass therethrough. Theopening 128 for porting the motor cooling air in from the second coolingconduit 315 is positioned such that the motor cooling air enters theupper casing 292 downstream of the pre-motor filter assembly butupstream of the motor/fan assembly inlet opening 22 a. The motor/fanassembly 22 rests on a motor isolator 310 positioned in the lower casing294. The lower rear casing 296 includes a motor/fan assembly outletconduit 312 leading to a post-motor filter assembly 330 (FIG. 27) toport exhaust air from an outlet opening 22 b in the motor/fan assembly22 to the atmosphere. A first gasket 314 is positioned between theslotted platform 36 and the upper casing 292. A second gasket 316 ispositioned between the motor/fan assembly 22 and the upper casing. Athird gasket 318 is positioned between the handle 304 of the filter tray300 and the cavity 298. Mounted on top of the upper casing 292 andbeneath the slotted platform 36 is an ultraviolet (UV) sanitationassembly 320 for sanitizing the working air from the cyclone moduleassembly before it enters the motor/fan assembly. The UV sanitationassembly 320 comprises an annular casing 322 that houses an annular UVlight bulb 324 and is positioned to surround the path of the working airas it passes through a central opening 326 of the casing 322. The casing322 is open at the bottom to direct UV light towards the pre-motorfilter 302 and thereby sanitize and disinfect the working air byneutralizing bacteria, molds, and dust mites contained in the workingair. The casing 322 can further comprise openings or slots 328 throughwhich UV light from the UV light bulb 324 passes to illuminate thecyclone module assembly 34 to create a “glowing” effect in the dirtcollection region. UV light passing through the slots 328 can alsosanitize and disinfect the working air passing through the centralopenings 326. The casing 322 can alternately or in addition to the openbottom and the slots 328 be transparent or semi-transparent to allowlight from the UV light bulb 324 to shine through the casing 322.

Referring to FIG. 27, the post-motor filter assembly 330 comprises afilter housing 332 positioned on one side of the handle assembly 12 forreceiving a removable and replaceable post-motor filter 334. An opening336 in the bottom of the housing 332 is in communication with themotor/fan assembly outlet conduit 312. The filter housing 332 furtherhas a removable cover 338 having openings or slots 340 forming an airexhaust. The cover 338 can be removed to replace the post-motor filter334 as needed. The pre- and post-motor filters 302, 334 are preferablyHEPA filters.

In addition to the porting of the motor cooling air, the two-stagecyclone separation, the UV sanitation assembly 320, the pre-motor filter302, the post-motor filter 334, and the ion generator 259, the vacuumcleaner 10 can further promote a sanitary and hygienic home environmentby using an anti-bacterial material for many of its components,especially the components making up the working air path of the vacuumcleaner 10. In particular, many of the components can be made of aplastic having incorporated therein an anti-microbial compound, such asphenol derivatives, especially 2,4,4′-trichloro-2′-hydroxydiphenol(e.g., Triclosan®, Irgasan®, Microban®), that reduce and/or preventbacterial and mold growth on surfaces. Other anti-microbial compoundssuch as organotins, especially Tri-n-butyltin maleate (as in Ultra FreshDM-50), can also be used to impart antimicrobial activity to plasticmolded components Soak-treating in an aqueous solution containingstabilized chlorine dioxide can also be used to impart anti-microbialproperties to molded plastic parts.

The vacuum cleaner 10 can further be provided with one or moreabove-the-floor tools for use in conjunction with the flexible hose 134,such as, but not limited to, a telescoping wand 342 (FIGS. 28-30), aflexible crevice tool 344 (FIGS. 31-33), and/or a turbine-powered brush346 (FIGS. 34-37). Referring to FIGS. 28-30, the telescoping wand 342comprises first and second tube sections 348, 350 that are joined by alocking device 352. The first tube section 248 has a suction or inletend 353 for ingestion of dirt. The second tube section 350 can bereceived within the first tube section 348 and has an attachment end 354that is sized to receive a flexible hose by a friction fit. Thetelescoping wand 342 can be adjusted to any length, from a fullyretracted length shown in FIG. 30 to a fully extended length shown inFIG. 29.

Referring additionally to FIG. 30, the locking device 352 comprises alocking collar 356 that retains a split ring 358, as is known in thevacuum cleaner wand art. The locking collar 356 has internal threads 360that mate with complementary external threads 362 on the first tubesection 348. Loosening the locking collar 356 opens the split ring 358and allows the second tube section 350 to be moved relative to the firsttube section 348. When a desired length has been reached, the lockingcollar 356 is tightened, whereby the split ring 358 is closed to securethe telescoping wand 342 at the desired length. Markings can be providedon the telescoping wand 342 to indicate to the user the proper end toattach to the flexible hose and/or the direction to rotate the collar356 to loosen or tighten the locking device 352 when make a lengthadjustment.

Referring to FIG. 31, the flexible crevice tool 344 comprises anelongated hollow body 364 that is made of a flexible material thatallows the crevice tool 344 to bend or deform as needed, such as whenthe user is cleaning a hard to reach area, for example underneath orbehind furniture. The material has sufficient resilience to otherwiseretain a relatively straight shape. The body 364 has a suction opening366 at one end that can be angled such that user can hold the crevicetool 344 in an ergonomic manner while maintaining the suction opening366 relatively flat against a surface being cleaned. The body 364 canfurther be formed with a plurality of circumferential furrows 368 alongthe length of the body. The furrows 368 function to increase the flexingof the crevice tool as illustrated by FIGS. 32-33, whereby the crevicetool 344 can be flexed in multiple directions as indicated by thephantom line drawings of the body 364. The body 364 has an attachmentend 370 opposite the suction opening 366 that is sized to receive aflexible hose by a friction fit. A circumferential flange 372 on theattachment end 370 provides a stop for the end of the flexible hose. Theattachment end 370 can be made of a stiffer material than the body 364and can be attached to the body using any suitable means.

Referring to FIGS. 34-36, the turbine-powered brush 346 is substantiallydisclosed in U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/594,773, entitled“Vacuum Accessory Tool”, and filed on May 5, 2005, incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety, and thus will only be described briefly.The turbine-powered brush 346 comprises a nozzle body formed by an upperhousing 374 and a lower housing 376 secured together by a rotatable andremovable retaining ring 378. A brush chamber 380 is formed in a forwardportion of the lower housing 376 in close proximity to and in fluidcommunication with a suction nozzle 382 formed in the lower housing 376.A commonly known agitator assembly in the form of a brush roll 386comprising a dowel 388 that supports a plurality of bristles 390, as iswell-known in the vacuum cleaner art, is rotatably mounted within thebrush chamber 380 via bearing assemblies 392, which are located on theends of the dowel 388. An agitator pulley 394 is formed on the dowel 388between the bearing assemblies 392. A working air conduit in the form ofa connector 396 for attachment to a flexible hose is positioned on anend opposite the suction nozzle 382. An impeller chamber 398 is formedbetween the suction nozzle 382 and the connector 396 and receives animpeller assembly 400 having a set of arcuate blades 402. The impellerassembly 400 is mounted within the impeller chamber 398 to freely rotateupon air impinging the blades 402. A belt 404 is installed between theimpeller assembly 400 and the agitator pulley 394 such that the brushroll 386 will rotate as the impeller assembly 400 rotates.

A second embodiment of the turbine-powered brush 346′ is illustrated inFIG. 37, where like elements are identified by like numerals bearing aprime (′) symbol. The turbine-powered brush 346′ further includes atleast one hair removal element 406 in the lower housing 376′ adjacentthe suction nozzle 382′. The hair removal element 406 can comprise aplurality of spaced, flexible nubs or bristles 408 preferably formedfrom a suitable polymeric material that can be chosen from natural orsynthetic resins, such as nylon, rubber, or the like. The material ofthe bristles 408 is selected such that it creates an electrostaticcharge when in contact with and moving relative to a carpet or otherfabric surface. The electrostatic charge attracts pet hair and otherdirt on the surface and holds the pet hair and other dirt in thevicinity of the suction nozzle 382′ for ingestion therethrough.

The telescoping wand 342, flexible crevice tool 344, and turbine-poweredbrush 346, 346′ can selectively be attached to the flexible hose 134.The crevice tool 344 and the turbine-powered brush 346, 346′ can also beattached to the suction end 353 of the telescoping wand 344 by afriction fit. When not in use, the above-the-floor tools can be storedon the vacuum cleaner 10. A recess 410 (FIG. 1) is provided on theprimary support section 16 above the cyclone module assembly 34 formounting the turbine-powered brush 346. The recess 410 has a retainingclip (not shown) that is sized to engage the connector 396 of theturbine-powered brush. A first tool support 414 (FIG. 2) is provided ona side of the primary support section 16 near the motor cavity 20 formounting the telescoping wand 342. The attachment end 354 of thetelescoping wand 342 is sized to friction fit the tool support 414. Anupper tool clip 416 provided above the first tool support 414 encirclesthe first tube section 348 to help retain the telescoping wand 342 in anupstanding orientation. A second tool support 418 is provided above thehose guide 140 for mounting the flexible crevice tool (not shown).

The air path through the vacuum cleaner 10 will now be described. Thevacuum cleaner 10 can be operated in two modes: on-the-floor cleaningand above-the-floor cleaning. For on-the-floor cleaning, working air isdrawn through the suction nozzle 48 and enters the cyclone moduleassembly 34. For above-the-floor cleaning, working air is drawn into thevacuum cleaner 10 through the hose 134 and enters the cyclone moduleassembly 34. Once the working air enters the cyclone module assembly 34,the air path through the vacuum cleaner is the same, regardless ofoperational mode.

Referring to FIG. 38, working air enters the primary cyclone separator200 through the inlet opening 212. The primary cyclone chamber 214performs centrifugal separation, where larger dirt particles areseparated from the working air by centrifugal force acting on the dirtswirling around the baffle assembly 216, as indicated by arrows A. Theworking air next passes radially inwardly through the perforations 222in the baffle assembly 216, as indicated by arrows B, and then upwardlythrough the air passage 228, as indicated by arrows C. To enter thesecondary cyclone separators 204, the working air turns outwardly pastthe lip 241 to pass through the tangential air inlets 232, as indicatedby arrows D where the working air enters the cyclone module assemblyforming a well-known cyclonic vortex air flow pattern associated withfrusto-conical shaped separators, as indicated by arrows E. Dirtparticles not separated from the working air by the primary cycloneseparator 200 are separated by the cyclonic action created by thevortex. The vortex tail is in contact with the vortex stabilizer surface247. At the vortex stabilizer surface 247, the now relatively cleanworking air abruptly turns upward, as indicated by arrows F, and exitsthe secondary cyclone separator 204 through the air outlet tube 242. Thesecondary cyclone outlet air passes through the outlet passages 244, asindicated by arrows G, to the air exit conduit 246 where the outlet aircombines and flows downwardly through the air exit conduit 246, asindicated by arrows H to exit the cyclone module assembly 34 through theair exit 256.

Upon exiting the cyclone module assembly 34, the outlet air passessequentially through the UV sanitation assembly 320, the pre-motorfilter 302, and on to the motor/fan assembly 22. In the upper casing292, the working air is be joined by brush motor cooling air from thefoot assembly 14. The working air mixes with the motor cooling air andexits the motor/fan assembly 22 through the outlet conduit 312 andpasses through the post-motor filter assembly 330, whereupon thefiltered outlet air is finally exhausted from the vacuum cleaner 10.

While the invention has been specifically described in connection withcertain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that thedescription is by way of illustration of one embodiment of the inventionand not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification arepossible within the forgoing description and drawings without departingfrom the scope and the scope of the invention which is defined in theappended claims.

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a housing; a cleaning head assembly inthe housing having a suction nozzle and a working air path therethrough;a dirt separator in the housing for removing dirt from a dirt-containingairstream; a suction source having an inlet connected to the dirtseparator and adapted to draw the dirt-containing airstream from thesuction nozzle and through the dirt separator, and an outlet; a firstmotor mounted in a motor housing; an air inlet provided in the motorhousing for supplying cooling air to the first motor; a conduitextending from the motor housing to the suction source inlet downstreamof the dirt separator to pass the cooling air from the motor housing tothe suction source inlet; and a filter mounted in the housing and influid communication with and downstream of the suction source outlet forremoving contaminants from the air that passes from the suction sourceoutlet.
 2. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, and further comprisingan agitator that is driven by the first motor, and wherein the suctionsource further comprises a second motor.
 3. The vacuum cleaner fromclaim 1, wherein the filter is a HEPA filter.
 4. The vacuum cleaner fromclaim 1, wherein the housing comprises a handle assembly pivotallyconnected to the cleaning head assembly at a pivot axis and the conduitpasses through the pivot axis.
 5. The vacuum cleaner from claim 4,wherein the suction source is mounted in the handle assembly.
 6. Thevacuum cleaner from claim 4, wherein the filter is mounted in the handleassembly.
 7. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a housing; a cleaning headassembly in the housing having a suction nozzle, an agitator, and aworking air path therethrough; a dirt separator in the housing forremoving dirt from a dirt-containing airstream; a suction source havingan inlet connected to the dirt separator and adapted to move thedirt-containing airstream from the suction nozzle and through the dirtseparator, and an outlet; a first motor driving the agitator and mountedin the cleaning head assembly; a source of cooling air supplied to thefirst motor; a conduit extending from the first motor to the suctionsource inlet to pass the cooling air from the first motor to the suctionsource inlet; and a filter mounted in the housing and in fluidcommunication with and downstream of the suction source outlet forremoving contaminants from the air that passes from the suction sourceoutlet.
 8. The vacuum cleaner from claim 7, wherein the first motor ismounted within a motor housing in the cleaning head assembly and thecooling air passes from a first side of the motor housing to a secondside.
 9. The vacuum cleaner from claim 8, wherein the conduit isattached to the motor housing at the second side.
 10. The vacuum cleanerfrom claim 7, wherein the conduit is connected to the suction sourceinlet downstream of the dirt separator.
 11. The vacuum cleaner fromclaim 7, wherein the filter is a HEPA filter.
 12. The vacuum cleanerfrom claim 7, wherein the housing comprises a handle assembly pivotallyconnected to the cleaning head assembly at a pivot axis and the conduitpasses through the pivot axis.
 13. The vacuum cleaner from claim 12,wherein the suction source is mounted in the handle assembly.
 14. Thevacuum cleaner from claim 12, wherein the filter is mounted in thehandle assembly.